Erdogan meets Zelensky a day after phoning Putin

President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Istanbul to meet with his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a day after the Turkish leader spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky touched down in Turkey on April 4 for "substantive talks" with Erdogan. His visit comes a week after his trip to three Gulf states where he discussed Ukrainian support amid the war in the Middle East following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

"We are working to strengthen our partnership for the real protection of people's lives and the promotion of stability and security in our Europe, as well as in the Middle East," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

"Joint efforts always yield the best results."

On April 3, Erdogan held a call with Putin. Without naming Moscow as the perpetrator, Erdogan called for an end to attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea.

"Turkey urges all parties to refrain from steps that would result in an escalation, that attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea cause harm to the environment of stability, and that the Iran war should not be allowed to create additional conflict zones in the Russia-Ukraine crisis," the Turkish president’s office wrote in a statement on April 3.

Turkey has positioned itself as a potential peace broker in the war, and helped implement the Black Sea Grain initiative back in 2022 for safe maritime exports of grain and fertilizer from Ukraine.

Since the start of war in Iran on Feb. 28, Zelensky has leveraged Ukraine’s experience in downing Iranian made Shahed drones, bolstering air defense in the Gulf region.

Last week, the Ukrainian leader inked 10-year defense deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE for joint arms production and training.

As part of the agreements, Ukraine will supply weapons and defense technology to Gulf countries, including systems that can help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, Zelensky told reporters on March 30.

Iran has blocked vessels from crossing the Strait of Hormuz in repsonse to the U.S.-Israeli strikes.

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The Kyiv IndependentPolina Moroziuk